Lace-making machine



P. GREENWOOD.

LACE MAKNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8, I9l7.

Patented Aug- 31, 1920.

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P. GREENWOOD.

LACE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1917.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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LACE MAK lNG MACHINE. APPLICATION F'ULED JAN. 8. 1917.

Patented Aug. 31,1920.

& W M 3 1% M Ares PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY GREENWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 AUGUST A. FOLLMER, 'OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

LACE-MAKING- MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERoY GREENWOOD,

a subject of the King of Great Britain and lace making machines. The primary objectof the invention is to provide a machine which will be much smaller in size, much more compact and much more easily accessible for inspection, repairs and adjustment than the lace making machine heretofore in use, and which, at the same time, will be equal in capacity of lace production to machines heretofore in use having the same equipment, in number and size, of lace forming devices. This object is attained by a novel arrangement, relatively to each other, of the lace forming devices and the operating devices therefor. This novel arrangement results, not only in the utilization of space within the machine whichhas heretofore been wasted, but also in removing the obstacles heretofore present in lace making machines to inspection, repair and adjustment of the machine or of the lace threads therein. The removal of these obstacles by the present invention greatly facilitates such inspection, repairs and adjustment, which furthermore may be performed with safety while the machine is running. A further advantage of the novel arrangement referred to is a substantial decrease in the costof building lace-making machines. Another object of the invention is to provide a safety device for automatically stopping the operation of the machine on the breaking of a thread, so as'to avoid the production of de fective lace. a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lace making machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same partly broken away in the middle.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on enlarged scale, and partly, in section, of certain of the lace forming devices.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1920. Application filed January 8,1917. Serial No. 141,115. I

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating the parts in different positions, and

Fig. 6 is a detail, in front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of certain of the devices shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Referring to said drawings, 1, 2, indicate standards constituting the frame work-for .the right-hand side of the machine, while v3, 4, indicate standards constituting the framework for the left-hand side, these various standards being suitably connectedand supported. Mounted in this frame work is the driving shaft 5 which extends across the machine from standard 1 to standard 4 and is driven from any suitable source of power, as, for example, an electric motor (not shown) the circuit to which is controlled by a switch 6. i

The lace making machine shown has combined with it a jacquard mechanism (not shown) which operates, in the usual way, jacquard bars 7 suitably mounted in the standards 1, 2, 3, 4, for endwise movement a in a horizontal direction across the middle of the machine between standards'2, 3. In this middle portion of the machine an open lace-making space is provided through whichthe lace forming threads pass and at the upper end of which the lace-forming de vices operate upon them to form the lace, as shown later on.

Mounted in standards 10, 11 are notched racks 12 for supporting the spools 13 which supply the warp threads 14 to the lace forming devices. These threads 14, on leaving the spools 13, pass through eyes 15 in the standards 11, thence upwardly through a slay 16 and finally through eyes in the jacquard bars 7 and to other lace forming de vices above them. These other lace forming devices comprise the usual bobbin carriages 20 carrying bobbins 21 containing the lace forming threads upwardly through the machine.

The bobbin carriages 20 are mounted on an are shaped frame 30, which supports the comb bar 31 carrying the combs 32 between the teeth of which the bobbin carriages 20 reciprocate back and forth, between the front and rear of the machine and, as they thus reciprocate, position the locking threads I 22 with relation to the warp threads 14. The bobbin carriages 20 are thus reciprocated by a pair of opposed catch bars 35, 35, at the front and rear, respectively, of the machine. These catch bars are provided with catch plates 36,36 engaging slots 37, 37 in the ends of the bobbin carriages. The means for operating the front and rear catch bars 35, 35' are identical. Those for the front catch bar 35 will only be described in detail, like reference numerals, followed by the letter a being applied to like operating parts for catch bar 35 (latch bar 35 is loosely hung, by an arm 95, on a pivot 38 in one end of a link 39 the other end of which is connected to an arm 40 fixed on a rock shaft 41, this rock shaft also carrying an arm 42 which in turn is connected by a link 43 to a rocker arm 44 mounted on a rock shaft 45. The latter has secured to it an arm 46 to which is pivoted one end of a link 47 the otherend of which is pivoted .to a crank arm 48 fixed to.a shaft 49 which is rotated in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1, by gears 51 fixed to it and meshing with pinions 52 (one of which isshown in Fig. 1) secured to the driving shaft 5. The pivot 38 for catch bar 35 has also loosely connected with it one end of an L-shaped lever 53, the other end of which is loosely hung or pivoted on a shaft 54 near the upper end of the machine, so that said lever is free to swing on said shaft in an arc coincident with the upper surface of bobbin carriage guiding frame 30.

As the parts are shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the bobbin carriages 20 are intheir mid position, to which they have been moved from i the front of the machine by catch bar 35,

and are about to continue their movement toward the rearof the machine. Their continued movement in this direction is effected by catch bar 35*, as shown later on. In this mid-position of the bobbin carriages the rocker 44 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig.1, with both catch bars 35, 35 engaged with the bobbin carriages. Further rotation of shaft 49 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, moves rocker 44 upwardly at the left and downwardly at the right, thereby raising the link .43 at the left and correspondingly lowering the link 43 at the right. As the former is raised it will, through arm 43, arm 42, rock shaft 41 and arm 40, move the arm 39 clownwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. WVhile the arm plate 36 from the bobbin carriages. While,

this is taking place the link 43 is, as before stated, moving downwardly and, in doing so, will, through arm 42, rock shaft 41, and arm 40*, move the arm 39 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4. As the arm 39? is thus moved upwardly the catch bar, 35 the catch plate 36 whereof is retained by gravity in engagement with the slots 37 in the bobbin carriages 20, will move the bobbin carriages rearward. As the rotation of the shaft 49 continues and the rocker 44 is therefore rocked in the opposite direction to that ust stated the bobbin carriages 20 will be moved by the catch bar 35 in the opposite direction, that is toward the front of the machine, until the bobbin carriages have reached their mid-position (Fig. 3) when the catch bar 35 will ride off the cam 61 into reengagement with the slots 37 in the bobbincarriages'20 and catch bar 35 will be withdrawn, by the engagement of cam 61 with bowl 60 from engagement with the slots 37 inthe bobbin carriages; the movement of the carriage to the front of the ma chine being thereafter completed by the catch bar 35. It will thus be observed that the catch bar 35 moves the bobbin carriages 20 from the front of the machine to the 'middle thereof; that it is then disengaged by cam 61 from the bobbin carriages; that the rearward movement of the carriages is then completed by catch bar 35; which meanwhile has dropped off its cam 61 into on gagement with the carriages, that the catch bar 35 then moves the carriages from the rear to the middle of the machine; where the catch bar 35 is disengaged from the carriages by cam 61, and that the catch bar 35 then reengaging the carriages moves them toward the front of the machine andthen back to their mid-position; and so on.

The operation of the point bars 23', 23

is effected at the proper time with reference As the two sets cal, only one, with its cam and other operating connections, need be specifically described, the same reference numerals being applied to both, followed, in one case, by the reference letter F a Selecting, therefore, the front point bar 23 it will be observed that it is fixed by brackets and studs 66 to one end of a link 67 the opposite end of which is pivoted to an arm 68 which carries a bowl 69 resting upon a cam 70 fixed to shaft 4L9. The arm 68 carries a depending guide bar 71 sliding in a guiding bracket 7 2 secured to the frame of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The function of the cam 70, as hereinafter more fully pointed out, is to raise and lower the point bar 23. The point bar 23 is also pivotally mounted in one end of a link 7 5, the other end of which is pivotally connected with an arm 7 6 fast to a rock shaft 77 journaled in the machine frame and to which is secured one end of an arm 78, the opposite end of which has a presently be more fully stated, is to move the point bar 23 inwardly and outwardly with relation to the lace forming threads.

As indicated in Fig. 3 the point bars 23, 23 operate successively upon the lace threads. As there shown, the point bar 23 has completed its upward movement, to move the locking threads engaged by it upwardly to proper position, while the point bar 23 is just about entering between the threads. In this position of the bars, 23, 23*, the cams 7 0, 80, and 7 0 80, occupy the positions in which they are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the bowls 69, 69 in engagement with the high and low parts of cams 70, 7 0*, respectively, and the bowls 79, 7 9, in engagement with the low and high parts of cams 80, 80 respectively. As the shaft 49 continues to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1) the high part of cam 80 will engage the bowl 79 of lever 78 and, moving the free end of said lever upwardly, will, through the rock shaft 77, arm 76 and link 7 5, move the point bar 23 outwardly from engagement with thelace threads or toward the front of the machine. At the same time the arm 67, by reason of its connection with thestud 66, will be swung outwardly on its pivotal connection with the arm 68. The bowl 69 of arm 68 then rides down from the high part to the low part of cam 70, and the arm 68 and guide 71 move downwardly and, in doing so, through the arm 67, move the point bar 23 downwardly from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. l. The'rotation of shaft 49 being further continued the bowl 79 will move downwardly from the high part to the low part of cam 80 and thereby, through lever 79, rock shaft 77 and the other connections just referred to, move the point .bar 23 inwardly into engagement with the lace threads. Thereuponthe bowl 69 will be engaged by the high part of cam 70 and the arm 68 and parts connected therewith will be moved upwardly so as to move the point bar 23 upwardly through the 'lace threads to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. The arrangement, on the cam shaft 49, of the cams 70, 80 for the rear point bar 23 is the reverse of that of the cam tween the threads and then moved downwardly and then inwardly between the threads as already described, and so on.

Heretofore, in lace making machines of the type herein illustrated, it has been the practice to support the main operating mechanism for the point bars and catch bars, in other words, the cam mechanism for the point bars and the crank mechanism for the catch bars, at points above the point bars and catch bars, and to also support some of the driving connections in front of the machine frame. Because of this, such 'machines have been of unnecessarily large size, over all, in height and depth, and inconvenient (and also unsafe while running) for the purposes of inspection, repair and tween the driving shaftand these cam and crank mechanisms, and the connections between the latter and the point and catch bars, below the point and catch bars, and to inclos e all of these mechanisms and connections within the machine frame, in a space therein that has heretofore been wasted. Furthermore, the cam mechanisms and crank mechanisms being'located within the machine frame and arranged outside and alongside the lace-making space they leave the front of the machine unobstructed so that the operator may, conveniently and with safety, closely approach the operbars and catch bars brings them withinconvenicnt reach for such purposes. "The machine is equlpped with a devlce for stopping the operation of the machlne whenever from any cause one of the warp threads 14: breaks. The means provided for this purpose consists of a thin metal plate 85 for each of the threads 1d, which, should its thread break, will drop down between a pair of rolls S6, 87, the former being mov-. able relatively to the latter, whlch 1s driven, 7 1n any sultable way, from the driving mechanism of the machine or otherwise so as to feed the fallen plate downwardly. The movable roll 86 is pivotally mounted in a lever 88 fulcrumed at 89 in the machine frame, the opposite end of said lever being connected by a rod 90 connected with the switch 6 which controls the circuit between a source of electric supply and the electric motor (not shown) which drives the main shaft 5. Should one of the plates 85 fall between the rolls 86, 87, it will be fed down between them and move the roll 86 away from the roll 87 and, in doing so, rock the arm 88 and thereby move rod 90 so as to open switch 6 and thus arrest the operation of the machine. In order to insure the delivery of a falling plate 85 between the rolls 86, 8?, guides 91, 92 are provided which converge at their lower ends above the rolls 86, 8.7. This stopping mechanism, operated automatically on the breaking of a thread, is a very important feature of my invention. In all lace-making machines threads are liable to break and when this occurs the machine must be stopped so that the break may be repaired. Because of this it has always been necessary to have for each machine a skilled operator, one of whose most important duties was. to constantly watch the multitude of moving threads so as to discover breaks as soon as they occur. Notwithstanding the watchfulness of such operator, however, it frequently happens that a break will occur without his immediately observing it, with the result that the lace made will be imperfect in spots, which must be mended or repaired, and the further result that the machine will have to be stopped for a very substantial length of time, while he laboriously rethreads the machine with and then ties together the ends of the broken thread. The loss of material or time, in such cases, through imperfections stopping mechanism the breaking of a thread is instantly madeknown to the attendant by the stopping of the machine, so-that watching of the threads by him is no longere necessary and the break may be repaired by him with very little laborious rethreading of the thread through the ma chine, with the production of a minimum of imperfect lace to be subsequently mended,

and without any substantial loss of time due to stoppage of the machine. Furthermore, while prior to my invention it was always found necessary to employ a highly-skilled, watchful. attendant for each machine, an entirely unskilled attendant may be employed with my machine with equally good results, and. his or'her duties are so reduced by the provisions of my automatically-operate-d stopping mechanism that onesuch attendant can take care of several machines simultaneously, the expense of running these machines and therefore of making lace being very materially reduced.

The term lace-making machine as used herein and in the following claims is meant to refer to machines which make not only the net but also the ornamental part of the lace.

What I claim is 1. in a lace making machine the combination of point bars and catch bars and main l operating mechanism therefor located in a lower plane than said bars, with a lace making space between it and said bars, and operating connections, at opposite ends of the machine and beyond the lace making space, extending upwardly from said operating mechanism to said bars.

2. In a lace making machine the combination of point bars and catch bars and main operating mechanlsm therefor located in rear of the front frame ofthe machine and in a lower plane than said bars, with a lace making space between said mechanism and said bars, and operating connections, at opposite ends of the machine and beyond the lace making space, extending upwardly from said operating mechanism to said- 'barsL In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' PERCY GREENWOOD. 

